Paddle grass Paddle grass

Paddle grass is characterized by the pe olate leaves (that have a pe ole) and oval-shaped (shaped like an oar or a paddle), that have a finely serrated (toothed) border. The leaves sprout in pairs from scale-like structures found at the nodes along the rhizomes (horizontal stalks). These leaves can grow to 25 mm (0.98 inches) in length and 6 mm (0.24 inches) in width. Among the seagrasses found in Puerto Rico this is the least similar to terrestrial plants, since it doesn’t feature a sheath at the base of the leaves to protect them (unlike turtle grass, which does feature this basal sheath). This is an annual plant (it fulfills its life cycle within a year) which is generally found in deep waters, around a depth of 30 m (nearly 100 feet). Paddle grass has slender rhizomes (horizontal stems) that run along the surface on mud or sand, and features a root on each node to anchor the plant to the substrate.